Chapter 46

A blast of cold air followed them into the Hall of Heroes - an appropriate name considering the large statues of Paragons that lined each side of the hall, looming magnificently over all below. Everyone took a moment to look around. "That's a lot of lava," Zevran said in awe as he stared at the thick, bubbling liquid running slowly from the top of the massive stone pillars to disappear into the depths. She trailed her fingers over the stone, thinking of the deep connection that the dwarves had with it; their 'stone sense', as they called it.

"Bread? Please, ser... just a bit of bread?" The weak voice tugged at her heartstrings and she reached into her pack and pulled out some rations. It had been a constant thorn in her side that she could never give the poor guy anything in the game, so she took advantage of the opportunity and placed some food into his frail hands along with a couple of gold coins. He raised shocked eyes and gave her a tremulous smile. "Ancestors bless you." She smiled at him before quickly catching up with the others just as they stepped through the large double doors at the other end of the hall.

They found themselves witness to a brawl between the two potential rulers of Orzammar. The fight ended swiftly when Bhelen's champion brought his axe down on Harrowmont's man, cutting him clean through the middle. "That seems the most logical way to end the dispute," said Sten.
"Well, it's not over yet. This was nothing more than a skirmish," Emma answered. The guard on duty grumbled about the mess and the lack of decorum shown by both parties. Aedan struck up a conversation with the Captain of the Guard and managed to get a few relevant pieces of information without annoying the man too much.

"I guess we need to head to the Diamond Quarter and find this Assembly he spoke of," Aedan said as he looked around for an indication of where to go. "This way," Emma replied, leading them to a set of double doors. Their progress drew several stares from those they passed, though her companions didn't seem to notice the attention as they continued chatting between themselves.

They reached the Assembly and were cautioned to keep quiet as they entered the chamber. Dwarves lined the circular room, their expressions ranging from angry to frustrated, making the tension an almost palpable thing, so much so, that Emma found herself holding her breath. Voices were raised in dissent and threats were thrown around as tempers flared. Finally, Steward Bandelor decided to call the meeting to a halt, warning the Deshyrs that there would be a recess until they could start acting in a more civilised manner.

Aedan and his companions exited the room and approached the steward who looked him over with a rueful eye as Aedan introduced himself and explained his reason for coming to Orzammar. "You couldn't have picked a worse time, Warden."
Alistair raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Should we ask the Archdemon to come back later, maybe in a couple of months or so? Would that be more convenient for the Dwarves?"
Steward Bandelor pinched the bridge of his wide nose, looking for all the world like a man on his last reserve of patience. He took a couple of deep calming breaths and proceeded to fill them in on the current situation in Orzammar.
"Is there no way to break this stalemate?" Aedan asked.
Bandelor shrugged. "I don't know how that's going to happen when both candidates hide themselves away. You can try talking to their seconds; Bhelen's man is Vartag Gavorn, and Dulin Forender speaks for Harrowmont." Emma looked around and found Gavorn watching them with small shifty dark eyes. She disliked the devious methods he employed to gain support for Bhelen, so when he caught her gaze she coldly returned it until he looked away.

Emma knew that both candidates for the throne had their pros and cons, depending on who you spoke to in Orzammar. However, that didn't stop her from hoping they would back Harrowmont; he always came across as the most scrupulous of the two. Besides, she'd always wanted to fight in the Provings. The conversation with the steward had come to an end and the dwarf went back into the chamber. Gavorn, pinpointing Aedan as the leader, introduced himself even before the assembly doors had finished closing.

Aedan contemplated the dwarf, a quick flicker of distaste crossing his features at Gavorn's obsequious manner, however, he let him say his piece. But by the end of the speech, Aedan wore a dangerous expression. "These chits look fake." He glanced up at Gavorn and the dwarf's eyes slide to the side. "I don't think we'll be doing business." Aedan snapped. He dropped the chits into Gavorn's hand and left the Assembly.

Outside, they were met by Dulin Forender, who politely introduced himself and explained why Harrowmont needed a sign of good faith.
"Do we really want to ally with someone who feels the need to hide away?" Zevran muttered.
Aedan shot him a look and the assassin quieted down. He turned back to Forender with a frustrated sigh. "I have to admit, I'm not happy about these games. We have a blight on our hands and all we want is for the Dwarves to honour their agreement and help us; instead, you have us jumping through hoops."
Dulin Forender offered a sympathetic smile. "I understand how you feel, but you must appreciate that we deal with the darkspawn on a regular basis. Also, the dwarves are in mourning for the loss of King Endrin and our most pressing need right now is to get a new king on the throne."
Aedan rubbed a hand over his face. "Of course. So, what is it you need us to do?"

-x-

Baizyl and Gwiddon, Harrowmont's two warriors who had withdrawn from the games, were brought back on board and then it was time for Aedan's first fight. His companions stood on the sidelines, enthusiastically cheering him on, with Emma being one of his more animated supporters as she whooped loudly and bounced up and down each time he successfully struck his opponent. Aedan came over to them after winning the first bout and took the canteen of water from Alistair with a word of thanks. He swallowed a few mouthfuls before handing it back and pulling Emma to one side. "Angel, I love your exuberant cheering, but that bouncing is very distracting." Her eyes shimmered with amusement. "Is that so?" He pressed her up against the wall with a little growl. "Yeah, I keep imagining you doing that while straddling me."
His mouth crushed aggressively down on hers. Emma could taste the simmering violence running through Aedan, and wanting to keep the flow of adrenaline going she bit his lip, before sliding her tongue over the stinging area and pulling away.
She grinned mischievously. "I believe you're being called."
He groaned, pushing at his groin in order to get himself under control. "Later, Angel." He stepped out into the arena, frustration and excitement lending an edge to his already impressive skills. The crowds roared for the Grey Warden as he took down two opponents with relative ease.

When Aedan was called upon to choose a second, Emma's name rang out loud and clear through the background chatter. Her head shot up and she found herself being pushed towards the entrance of the arena. She offered a nervous smile to Aedan before looking up at the stands. Bloody hell! There were a lot of people! She leaned towards Aedan and whispered, "Are you sure you want me?"
He chuckled and a gleam of lust lit his eyes. "Always, Angel." He gave her a reassuring smile when he noticed the drops of perspiration gathering on her forehead. "I trust you with my life and I can't think of anyone I would rather have at my back."
She flushed at the compliment and straightened her spine as the two opponents stepped into the ring. Adrenaline raced through her blood like the slice of a dagger and she resolved not to let him down. Emma attempted to give the dwarves an intimidating glare, but they didn't look too impressed, so instead she focused on the spells at her disposal and which ones would be more effective. The Proving Master made the usual announcement and the fight started. As soon as one of the dwarves started running at her, she froze him and then threw a stone fist, knocking him onto his back.

His resistance was strong though, and it didn't take him long to shake off the effects before rushing at Emma once more. She used Mind Blast and he stumbled back, giving her time to prepare her next spell. A wave of fire hit the dwarf and he howled in pain, his only thought in putting out the raging flames that surrounded him. He staggered around, flapping his hands frantically while unaware of the metal staff being swung in his direction. She caught him hard across the jaw and he went down like a sack of potatoes. A second loud crash of armour showed that Aedan's opponent had hit the dirt, his eyes closing as he dropped. Emma didn't think it would look very sporting to do a happy dance in the ring, so she held in the urge until she was back on the sidelines, where she let loose with a cheer and a wiggle of her hips.

Aedan slapped her ass as he moved back to the arena for the final match, causing her to yelp and throw him a saucy look. She suddenly remembered something and quickly caught up to Aedan. "In case you're interested, you have the chance to call on Baizyl and Gwiddon to fight with you in this match." He gave a quick nod, his mind already on the fight to come. "I'll do that."
As the two warriors walked past them to join Aedan, she nudged Alistair to follow them. "He'll be one short otherwise," she whispered as she pushed him again.
"Oh, right. Off I go then." He jogged over and entered the ring with the two dwarves.

With each team aware of the importance of winning, the fighting became furious, with no quarter given. In the end, Aedan and his team triumphed and a roaring cheer rose as the Proving Master declared the Grey Warden the victor. The group made their way to Tapsters Tavern with much back-slapping and cheerful chattering as they discussed the merits of each fighter. The sound of drunken singing assaulted their ears as they stepped into the tavern, and the smell of vomit and stale alcohol stung their nose. "What is that stench?" Sten queried, distaste evident in his voice.
Alistair chuckled. "Try walking into a small back room where a corpse has been kept for a while and you'll realise that this smell is like a bunch of roses in comparison."

They found Dulin Forender, who commended Aedan on his fighting skills before suggesting that he take them all to see Harrowmont. Aedan accepted the offer, resigned to being given the run around while in Orzammar. He bit his tongue and tried to school his features to reflect politeness as he prepared to meet Harrowmont, but Emma could see that his patience was wearing thin and the games were beginning to grate on his nerves.